Sheet discharging apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

The sheet discharging apparatus for discharging sheets to a stacking portion by a discharging portion, including an opening/closing member openable and closable with respect to a main body of the apparatus; a lever member rotatably provided on the opening/closing member above the stacking portion and capable of taking a suspended posture by an own weight of the lever member in a position where the opening/closing member is closed; and a delay mechanism which delays a rotation of the lever member toward the suspended posture caused by the own weight of the lever member, when the opening/closing member is shifted from an open position to a closed position. It can be prevented from being caught by the sheet when the upper cover is opened and closed.

1. A sheet discharging apparatus which discharges sheets to a stacking portion by a discharging portion, comprising:
 an opening/closing member openable and closable with respect to a main body of said apparatus; 
 a lever member rotatably provided on said opening/closing member above the stacking portion and taking a suspended posture by its own weight according to said opening/closing member being closed; and 
 a delay mechanism which delays a rotation of said lever member toward the suspended posture caused by the own weight of said lever member, by applying a biasing force in response to said opening/closing member being shifted from an open position to a completely closed position, wherein the biasing force is continuously applied by the delay mechanism to the lever member in a closing operation between the open position and the completely closed position. 
 
   
   
     2. A sheet discharging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when said opening/closing member rotates from the open position to the completely closed position, said delay mechanism is urged against a rotational force of said lever member caused by the own weight of said lever member in a direction in which said lever member rotates integrally with said opening/closing member, from the open position to a position between the open position and the completely closed position. 
   
   
     3. A sheet discharging apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein a force in which said delay mechanism is urged is smaller than the rotational force of said lever member caused by the own weight of said lever member in a condition that said opening/closing member is completely closed. 
   
   
     4. A sheet discharging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said lever member abuts against an upper surface of the sheet stacked on the stacking portion in a condition that said opening/closing member is completely closed. 
   
   
     5. A sheet discharging apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said lever member is a full-stack condition detection lever. 
   
   
     6. A sheet discharging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said lever member pushes down the sheet discharged by the discharging portion toward the stacking portion in a condition that said opening/closing member is completely closed. 
   
   
     7. A sheet discharging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said lever member also acts as a conveyance switching member which switches a sheet conveying path in a condition that said opening/closing member is completely closed. 
   
   
     8. A sheet discharging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a tip portion of said lever member has an inclined shape. 
   
   
     9. An image forming apparatus which forms an image on a sheet and discharges the sheet, comprising:
 an image forming portion which forms an image on a sheet; and 
 a sheet discharging apparatus which discharges sheets to a stacking portion by a discharging portion, comprising: 
 an opening/closing member openable and closable with respect to a main body of said image forming apparatus; 
 a lever member rotatably provided on said opening/closing member above the stacking portion and taking a suspended posture by its own weight according to said opening/closing member being closed; and 
 a delay mechanism which delays a rotation of said lever member toward the suspended posture caused by the own weight of said lever member, by applying a biasing force in response to said opening/closing member being shifted from an open position to a completely closed position, wherein the biasing force is continuously applied by the delay mechanism to the lever member in a closing operation between the open position and the completely closed position. 
 
   
   
     10. An image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein when said opening/closing member rotates from the open position to the completely closed position, said delay mechanism is urged against a rotational force of said lever member caused by the own weight of said lever member in a direction in which said lever member rotates integrally with said opening/closing member, from the open position to a position between the open position and the completely closed position. 
   
   
     11. An image forming apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein a force in which said delay mechanism is urged is smaller than the rotational force of said lever member caused by the own weight of said lever member in a condition that said opening/closing member is completely closed. 
   
   
     12. An image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein said lever member abuts against an upper surface of the sheet stacked on the stacking portion in a condition that said opening/closing member is completely closed. 
 
   
   
     13. An image forming apparatus according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein said lever member is a full-stack condition detection lever. 
 
   
   
     14. An image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein said lever member pushes down the sheet discharged by said discharging portion toward the stacking portion in a condition that said opening/closing member is completely closed. 
 
   
   
     15. An image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein said lever member also acts as a conveyance switching member which switches a sheet conveying path in a condition that said opening/closing member is completely closed. 
 
   
   
     16. An image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein a tip portion of said lever member has an inclined shape. 
 
   
   
     17. An image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein a tip portion of said lever member has a curved shape. 
   
   
     18. A sheet discharging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a tip portion of said lever member has a curved shape.